


Breakthrough

by EAS1928



Category: Scandal (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-22
Updated: 2014-03-25
Packaged: 2018-01-16 13:55:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1349824
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EAS1928/pseuds/EAS1928
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lives hang in the balance and truths are discovered.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I think I proofread this if I did not please forgive. I wrote this months ago.

"I don't give a shit what you do Mellie!" Fitz got into his wife's face. Her wide eyed expression almost made him burst out laughing. "I showed up for you Mellie, but do not think that we are friends or in good standing. We are not."  
Mellie swallowed the lump in her throat trying to keep her icy demeanor in place. She'd told Fitz about a trip she was planning to North Carolina to start rallying up support for his re-election campaign and he totally dismissed her. Fitz turned away from her to look out of the Oval windows onto the White House lawn. Mellie turned and left without another word.  
She was trying to help him. She was always trying to help him. He always accused her of wanting him to be president for her own gain, but truth be told she did enjoy some aspects of his position but mostly she was bored. She knew that he was great and wanted him the chance to showcase his greatness and to prove to his father that he was more than just his son. All she ever got for her efforts was scorn, disdain and her husband throwing up to her at every turn that he was in love with another woman. He flaunted his affair in her face without a care in the world of how it might affect her. Not only did Fitz not love her he didn't even care about her as the mother of his children, he didn't care about her as a human being.  
2 Week Later  
Mellie left the White House for her planned visit to North Carolina without a word to Fitz. They hadn't really said much to each other since the talk in the Oval and she'd done all she could to avoid him. Which she was sure he was thankful of. Mellie was a bit happy to be going to Carolina where she would see her parents and her brother, it'd been much too long since she visited with them. She spent the first day with family and then did her scheduled appearances. Mellie felt that Fitz could be a great president but she hated having to say all the great things about him as a person and a husband, but everyone ate it up. After a week of scheduled appearances and speeches she was ready to get back to D.C. if only to get some rest.  
Fitz had not called her one time and that saddened her deeply. She was doing her best for him, if only he could see that. Mellie finished her last speech and was whisked back to the airport to board one of the presidential jets back to D.C. once the jet took off and it was safe to do so she headed to the back of the jet to a seat that reclined fully so she could get some sleep during the flight. Mellie was asleep for nearly 30 minutes when she was jostled awake by the flight attendant.  
"Ma'am we are going to need your seat in the upright position and put your seat belt on, the pilot has encountered some choppy weather." Mellie complied with the instructions just as the plane bowed to the left nearly throwing the flight attendant over her. The attendant immediately took a seat across the aisle and buckled herself in as the plane bowed again. Mellie tried to remain calm, but she was afraid. The pilot came over the speaker and announced that he would be attempting an emergency landing at a nearby airport.  
Fitz was laying in bed with Olivia in his arms, without a care in the world. He'd spent nearly every night that Mellie had been away at Olivia's apartment.  
"I was indifferent to her leaving at first, but now I'm glad she did. If only it were permanent." He said as he kissed Olivia's forehead and she snuggled in closer to him. He stroked his hand up and down the smooth skin of her bareback and she rubbed her foot up along his leg. They looked at each other and began to passionately kiss. bzzzzzzzzzzzzz bzzzzzzzzzzzzzz bzzzzzzzzzzzzz Fitz's phone vibrated constantly as it lay unforgotten half underneath the bed that the two lovers shared. After an hour the two lay back on the bed and fail into an exhausted slumber.  
When Fitz woke up Olivia was already out of bed and in the shower. He hopped out of bed and joined her. They made their way out of the shower and began to get dressed. Olivia turned on the tv to watch the morning news as Fitz finished dressing in the bedroom. He heard the shattering of glass and rushed out of the bedroom.  
"Livvie are you ok?" She stood staring at the tv with a shocked expression on her face. He followed her gaze to the tv when he saw a headline that nearly made him pass out. First Ladies Plane Crashed...... No Word On Survivors.


	2. Chapter 2

Fitz did not hear what the news anchor was saying and he had to grip the kitchen counter to stop from falling over. He was aware that Olivia was now staring at him, but he couldn't look at her, he couldn't speak. After what seemed to be hours, but was only a few minutes he snapped out of his stupor. He rushed back into her bedroom to find his cell wondering why no one had called him. He found his cell on the floor and realize that it was dead. Fitz grabbed his suit jacket and headed for the door. He remembered Olivia and turned to regard her.  
"Go." Was all she said. He was angry and scared in this moment. Angry that no one had bothered to come find him, to at least tell his Secret Service what was going on, a part of him was wondering if this was just another ploy by Mellie to gain sympathy. He quickly put that thought out of his head knowing that she would not go to these lengths. He was whisked to his car and he immediately called Cyrus ready to chew him out. The phone barely rang 1 time when an out of breath Cyrus answered the phone.  
"Where have you been?!" Fitz winced at his tone.  
"That's not important. What is important is have you heard anything about Mellie and why wasn't I informed of this? Why did I have to hear that my wife's plane crashed from the news?"  
"I have not heard anything about Mellie. I have been sitting here trying to keep hysteria from taking over and trying to cover for the president who seemed to be MIA while his wife is possibly somewhere in a field, in North Carolina, snapped in pieces after her plane crashed! I called you several times, but you were too busy fucking your mistress to answer the damn phone!" Cyrus did not have the patience or the time to keep decorum with Fitz. He was angry and scared. A feeling that they both shared. Fitz had no comeback and he hung his head in shame.  
"Call me if you hear anything I will be there shortly." He hung up the phone with Cyrus and immediately thought of his children, Karen and Gerry. By now he was sure they'd heard about their mother's plane. He took a deep breath and called Karen's cell. She answered sobbing.  
"Dad, what's going on?" Fitz's breath caught in his throat hearing the anguished tone of his daughter.  
"I don't know yet honey? I am on my way to the White House to find out." Fitz realized that he'd let it slip that he had not been in the White House when it happened and the silence on the other end alerted him that Karen had noticed as well. She sniffled, but did not say anything else. "I just wanted to check on you and your brother. Have you seen him?"  
"He's right here with me. We were taken out of class right before the news broke. Why did we have to hear about this from school officials and not you?"  
"I...I was working honey." The explanation sounded lame even to him, but thankfully his daughter was too upset about her mother to call him to the carpet on it.  
"Dad she can't be dead." Karen sounded less like the teenager that she was and more like a scared little girl.  
"I know baby I know." For so many reasons that Fitz wasn't ready to admit to. Fitz spoke with a even more distraught Gerry briefly before exiting the car as he headed to the Oval Office. Cyrus was waiting on him with the latest.  
"A body was found..." Fitz's heart stopped. "It was that of the pilot we are being told. They are still searching for the First Lady." Fitz winced when Cyrus referred to her as the First Lady, she was so much more than that. He nodded and went to stare out at the lawn. "Sir I think it would be prudent for you to head to North Carolina." The thought had crossed his mind, but he did not want to freak his children out by getting on a plane.  
"I don't think that's a good idea." Cyrus looked at him like he had two heads.  
"Sir I know that your marriage was not the best, but at the very least you can pretend like you care." Cyrus's remark was said snidely. Fitz whirled around from the window and stalked over to him.  
"Don't you dare stand there and make it seem like I do not care that the mother of my children might be dead! I am not a cold heartless bastard like you Cyrus! I don't have to pretend, she is my wife and I do care." The last part said softly as Fitz stepped away from Cyrus and sunk down onto the sofa. He laid his head in his hands as tears began to stream down his face. Cyrus was shocked at the scene before him. He stood silently. Fitz took a deep breath and looked up at Cyrus.  
"Get Air Force One ready I'm going to North Carolina." He stated with a steady still voice. All traces of emotion gone.


	3. Chapter 3

Fitz got word that the flight attendants body had been found but still no word on Mellie and as time went on he began to have less hope of them finding her alive. His plane landed and he was driven 20 minutes to the crash site. His heart broke in two when he saw the wreckage. He had to swallow a sob that tried to force its way out of his body. His cell began to vibrate. He looked at the caller id and saw that it was Olivia. He turned the phone off not able to talk to her right now. Fitz did not exit the vehicle, he didn't trust that he would be able to keep his emotions in check. He ordered his driver to take him back to the hotel where he would wait on word of Mellie.   
Fitz sat in his dark hotel room while aides buzzed about in the living area of the suite. His mind flashed between good times and bad and finally settled on the last time he'd spoke to her. The last thing he'd really said to her was that he didn't give a shit what she did. His heart clinched and he had to force air into his lungs.   
"Sir." Fitz looked toward the figure standing in the darkened door arch only illuminated by the light streaming in from the living area.  
"Yes." He said softly.   
"There's a call for you, it's urgent." Fitz closed his eyes and knew this was the call he had been dreading. He took a slow breath trying to calm his rapidly beating heart and stood up. Fitz shuffled slowly over to take the phone, instantly a quiet stillness came over the room as everyone held their breaths.  
"This is Fitzgerald Grant." The person on the other end began to talk and Fitz had to hold onto the door frame. Everyone's eyes were on him. He nodded his head a few times before ending the phone call.   
"I need the car, Mellie was found. She is alive and was taken to a nearby hospital." The room erupted in cheers but Fitz knew that she was not out of the woods yet and from what he'd been told that yes she was still alive, but her condition was dire and they were not hopeful that she would remain alive for long. Fitz arrived at the hospital and was whisked away to a private waiting room. He was informed that Mellie had been rushed into surgery. He wasn't given much other news and was not even sure she was going to make it out of surgery. He'd made it clear that no one was to make a statement regarding Melle's health until he approved. Fitz called Karen and Gerry to tell them that Mellie had been found alive, but despite the fact that he wanted to celebrate he warned that they should be cautiously optimistic. He hated to put a damper on their happiness but he felt it was best to be 100% honest with his kids. He ended the phone call with the kids and closed his eyes saying a silent prayer that she would pull through. He had no clue what he would do if she didn't. She'd been such an integral part of his life for most of his adult life and if she weren't there then...... His thoughts trailed off not even wanting to entertain the idea that she would not pull through. He wanted to be 100% honest with the kids, but who would be 100% honest with him. His heart soared when he'd heard that she was alive, against all odds she'd made it when no one else on the plane had. Fitz closed his eyes in sadness, there were some good people lost and he couldn't even imagine what their families were feeling right now, he didn't want to imagine and that is why she had to make it.   
"Sir." His head snapped up when the doctor entered the room. Fitz stood hurriedly.   
"How is she?"  
"She made it through surgery." He let out a big breath. "But she is not out of the woods, she had a lot of internal bleeding, as well as a swelling on the brain. Whether or not she makes it depends on if we can get the swelling to go down. The fact that she is even alive is nothing short of a miracle. I do have to apologize that we weren't able to save the fetus." Fitz's eyes nearly shot out of his head.   
"What?"  
"Your wife was pregnant seemed early on. Perhaps she didn't even realize that she was, but there was too much trauma for the fetus to survive." Fitz's brain swirled not believing what he was hearing. Mellie was pregnant, but how? They hadn't been intimate in months and the doctor said that the pregnancy was early. Had she been cheating on him? The thought of her being unfaithful to him angered him. Even though he had no right to be. Fitz closed his eyes and tried to keep a level head.  
"When can I see her?"  
"When she comes out of recovery I will be sure to have a nurse come get you." Fitz nodded and the doctor left. His phone began to vibrate and he knew who it was. He just couldn't talk to her right now and he ignored the phone. He sat back in the chair glad that Mellie had made it out of surgery, but in shock that she was pregnant. He wondered who it could have been and he had to hand it to her she was a lot better at hiding an affair than he was.


	4. Chapter 4

Fitz was informed that he could see Mellie after about an hour. He was not prepared for seeing her battered and bruised body. She looked so small and helpless laying there motionless with tubes coming out of everywhere and machines beeping. Small and helpless was never a way that he imagined he would ever use to describe Mellie. She was always larger than life and a fighter, tenacious, strong willed. A ghost of a smile crossed his features when he thought of her, his wife. Fitz sat next to the bed and gently took her left hand into his. He immediately noticed that her wedding ring was missing and he wondered if it had been lost in the accident or maybe the doctor's had taken it off or maybe she hadn't been wearing it. The last thought caused him great distress. He looked at her face, cut and bruised and very swollen and she was still the beautiful woman he fail in love with. He frowned not sure where that thought came from. He hadn't thought of his feelings for her in a long time and chalked it up to the situation they were now in. Fitz sat next to her bed staring at her, willing her to open her big blue eyes, willing her to wake up and call him an idiot or idealistic or anything, but no matter how much he wanted it she lay, still, and quiet and she would be that way for weeks.   
After it became apparent that the First Lady would not be waking up soon, Fitz arranged for her to be moved back to D.C. so that he could resume his duties but she would be close enough for him to visit. Karen and Gerry had come to visit their mother for a few days and gone back to boarding school. They were upset that she had not awoken despite repeated assurances from the doctors that it should happen at any moment. Fitz's heart broke when Teddy constantly asked for his mommy and he was shocked at the connection that he seemed to have with Mellie. He never thought of her as a particularly warm mother, but if truth be told she was always there when her kids needed her.   
Fitz had not visited Mellie for about a week. He'd been with Olivia trying to keep up pretenses that her condition wasn't affecting him greatly, but it was. Every day that she stayed in the coma was another day that she may not ever wake up. The swelling had gone down and there really was no reason why she wouldn't wake up. Fitz wondered if she wanted to wake up, maybe she was punishing him. He hated himself for those thoughts, but he was frustrated. He wasn't sure what would happen once she did wake up, but at least for the kids she needed to. He knew that it would look bad if he didn't go see her after being absent for a week. He waited to late in the evening to appear. After getting an update on her condition from the doctor he entered her room. The bruises and cuts on her face had almost healed and disappeared, but still she lay there motionless. He sighed and sat down next to her bed.   
"Why won't you wake up?" He stared at her waiting for what he didn't know. "Teddy's been asking for you. Every day he becomes more despondent that you are not around. I can't make him understand....." Fitz exhaled a deep breath. "The doctor's are saying you should be awake. So why aren't you? Is this a punishment for how I've treated you. If it is then it's very selfish of you to do this to our kids." Fitz knew that he shouldn't be saying these things but he was angry and he needed to get it out. "How could you cheat? And not only did you cheat you were so careless as to not make sure you didn't get pregnant!"   
He stood from the chair and walked to the window to try to calm himself. He knew that his voice was becoming loud and he did not want anyone to overhear what he was saying. He turned back around and she still lay in the same place. He shook his head frustrated. The doctor's had suggested that she be moved to a rehab facility as there were no longer any medical reasons for her to remain in the hospital. Fitz had decided that was what he would do, move her away. Somewhere that he wouldn't have to visit and he could just continue on with his life as if she didn't exist. It was clear to him that she was being her usual selfish self and she didn't want to wake up. He looked at her one last time and left her room. He made arrangements for her to be moved to a rehab facility. Her parents had requested for her to be moved to North Carolina and despite Cyrus' objection Fitz agreed that would be best.


	5. Chapter 5

1 Month Later   
The country had started to move on from the plane crash that nearly killed the First Lady and Fitz had resumed his life. He called weekly to get updates from her mother and nothing had changed. He was convinced more and more that she would never wake up and he knew that he would never be able to marry his love. It would look terrible if he divorced his comatose wife. In his grief he'd decided that was her entire reason for all of this. She couldn't have just died like everyone else, if she had then after an acceptable mourning period no one would have been upset if he'd remarried but no she didn't die she was in a coma and he was stuck being married to her. He had practically moved Olivia into the White House, right under the American public's nose. If he couldn't marry her, he was going to be with her one way or another.   
Fitz was about to leave the Oval and return to the Residence when his cell phone buzzed. He looked at the caller id and saw it was Mellie's mother. His heart skipped a beat and stomach fail to his feet. This was not the usual time that she would call him and he was scared to answer the phone, maybe something happened. He took a deep breath and answered.  
"Hello" Her mother sounded out of breath and what she told him caused him to fall back against his chair.  
"She's awake!" Fitz felt a swirl of emotions that he could not put a finger to. He didn't respond as he sat down the cell phone, he rose from the chair and silently walked out of the Oval. He wasn't sure if he should be happy or sad that she was awake, what he was sure of the overwhelming guilt that fail upon him. The guilt of all the negative thoughts he'd had about her, the guilt that he'd sent her away and had not visited in over a month, the guilt that he'd treated her as less than a human for so long. Fitz made plans to head to North Carolina the next day as news spread that the First Lady had awoken.   
Fitz arrived at the facility where Mellie was being housed and he walked slowly toward her room. He had so many questions about her condition. Would she be the same Mellie, would she be brain damaged, have memory loss, be able to function? He had been assured that she appeared to be functioning normal but he was not convinced. He entered her room, it was empty and he looked at the nurse confused. She looked at her watch and explained that Mellie was in her Physical Therapy session. Fitz nodded and informed her he would wait in the room for Mellie to return. After about an hour the door to the room slowly opened and a nurse wheeled Mellie into the room. Fitz stood when she came into the room and their eyes locked. He didn't know what he should do, if he should hug her or kiss her or both, so he did nothing and just stood staring at her. For her part Mellie did not speak. The nurse helped her out of the chair and back into bed before leaving the two of them alone. They sat staring at one another and Fitz realized that although so much had changed everything remained the same.   
"It's good to see you awake." She nodded. "I've been worried sick about you." Her eyebrows quirked up and she laughed. His eyes bucked at her laughter.  
"Worried that I would die or worried that I would live?" Fitz was surprised by her words.   
"I'm glad you are well." He did not acknowledge her earlier statement. She nodded her head and yawned. "I can come back later if you are tired."   
"I think that would be best." Although it had been his suggestion he felt dismissed. He regarded her one last time before leaving the room.   
Mellie remained at the rehab facility for 3 more weeks gaining her strength and ability to walk again before she returned to the White House. The kids came to visit for a week and then returned to school. Teddy was ecstatic to see his mom after so many months of her being away. Fitz tried to get back into routine, but Mellie was a different person now. She mostly stayed to herself. Never really came into the Oval, or gave him questioning looks when he'd been out with Olivia. She'd often leave the room when he came in and he began to wonder what was going on. He knew from firsthand experience that near death would change a person.   
Fitz found Mellie engrossed in a novel. She sat with her legs tucked underneath her and her hair pulled back into a messy bun. Either she didn't hear him come in or she chose to ignore him. He stood staring at her, thinking about what a beautiful woman she was. Fitz closed his eyes and sighed. Mellie looked up at him for the first time since he entered the room. Their eyes met and for a brief moment they could have sworn they saw love flash in the other's eyes. As quickly as it happened it went away. Mellie unfolded her legs and stood up.   
"I'll get out of your way." Fitz held up his hand to stop her.  
"Please don't leave, we need to talk." She took a deep breath and sat back down. He knew that it was time to have the talk about the child she was carrying. He pulled up a chair and sat across from her.   
"What's there to talk about? You're disappointed because I'm not dead. I realized there's more to life than being married to you and I've been trying to stay out of your way and get a life of my own. What else is there?" Mellie said exasperated.   
"I'm not upset that you are alive. Despite our issues I would never want you to die. Our kids would be devastated." Hurt colored her face, but she pushed it back down. He could not, would not tell her that he would be devastated as well. "Mellie I really don't know how to say this, but you lost a child due to the crash." She looked at him quizzically.   
"Fitz what are you talking about?" She was wondering if he'd been drinking again.   
"You were pregnant. Only a few weeks I guess. I was shocked to hear I thought if you were to cheat on me you'd be a little more cautious. I guess I gave you too much credit." Fitz rambled on not noticing the shell shocked look on Mellie's face.  
"I don't know how that could have been." She said to no one in particular. Fitz stopped rambling and regarded her confused.   
"Do you need me to give you a lesson in the birds and the bees?" He said sarcastically.   
Her head snapped in his direction hurt by his accusations. "I am not you Fitz. I don't go and spread my legs for the first thing smoking. I couldn't have been pregnant."   
"Mellie come off of it. You've been fucking someone else! You tried to keep a secret so you could keep throwing my affair up in my face, but you got caught. Tell me if you hadn't been in that crash would you have gotten rid of it once you found out?" She closed her eyes trying to shield herself from his words.   
"I did not cheat on you, although I should. I wasn't pregnant that was a mistake." For a brief moment Fitz believed her. It wasn't like Mellie to lie like this.   
"Explain it to me then?"   
"I can't explain it other than they were mistaken."  
"Just stop it!" He had gotten angry that she would not admit that she'd cheated.  
"How far along did the doctor say I was?" Mellie's brain started to spin and do calculations.  
"He didn't." When she finally made the connection her face turned white and she looked like she was going to pass out. Fitz came closer to her and laid a hand on her arm. She snatched away from him.  
"You ok?" She looked at him blue eyes blazing.  
"It was yours Fitz." She said through clenched teeth. Fitz sat back in his chair and looked at her like she had grown another head. He started to laugh, a full laugh from deep within his belly.   
"That's impossible. We haven't had sex in months." Mellie closed her eyes and shook her head trying to get that night out of her head.   
"We had sex 41/2 weeks before my plane crash. You came to the bedroom after having a couple drinks. I tried to rebuff you, but you insisted. I decided to let you so that I could get some rest." She said it clinically. Fitz scrunched his face up and tried to recall the night. His eyes dropped when bits and pieces started to come to him and he looked at her horrified realizing that she was right. He'd wanted so badly for her to have been the bad guy once again that he never bothered trying to recall the hazy memory that kept popping into his head since that night.   
"I'm sorry Mellie." She shook her head and stood. Mellie walked around him and left the room without saying another word. What she didn't realize was that the sorry meant not only for that night, but for everything. For every way he'd mistreated her. Fitz sat back against the chair and closed his eyes letting the fear, anguish, guilt, and longing wash over him that he'd felt since her plane crashed. He stood up, a new determination coursing through his veins. He went to their bedroom to find her. He stopped short when he saw her clearing out a few drawers.   
"What are you doing?" Her shoulders sank in frustration.  
"I just can't get away from you can I? Which is very rich considering the fact that for the last 5 years you've acted like I was a nuisance and for the month that I was away in rehab you never came to see me." Fitz was surprised that she knew about that. "You look shocked honey. I woke up long before I allowed my mother to tell you I was awake. Actually I woke up about a week after I arrived there. When I realized you'd allowed me to be shipped off to North Carolina I knew that you wouldn't come visit and I was ok with that because I didn't want to see you as much as you didn't want to see me. After I gained some strength I decided to let her tell you, I didn't think it was fair to make Karen and Gerry keep that secret and I wanted to see Teddy."  
Fitz was blown away by her confession. And angry at the same time.  
"You made Karen and Gerry keep a secret from me! What kind of monster are you?" Mellie rolled her eyes.  
"Spare me the dramatics. I'm not the kind of monster that didn't realize that his wife was laying in a field somewhere half dead because he was shacked up with his mistress and I'm not the type of monster that moved his mistress in while his wife was fighting for her life." She quirked her eyebrow up at his shocked expression. "Fitz not everyone is on board with what you're doing and some people do like to talk. While I appreciate it I really don't give a shit what you do."   
Fitz got a sense of deja vu as she used his very words against him. Mellie resumed cleaning out her drawers. He stepped closer to her and touched her arm. She halted her movements.  
"Mellie, we lost a child. Don't you want to talk about that?" He said softly. She shook her head no and moved away from his touch. "I can never make up to you all the hurt and pain that I caused you, but please allow me to try."   
"You must think I'm stupid Fitz. I know you are trying to get me to let my guard down. Well you don't have to do that. I've contacted a lawyer. After you win re-election which I'm sure my crash has all but assured that you will I will file for divorce. I'd do it now but I don't want to taint the legacy of the children." Fitz stepped back stunned. He knew from the determination in her eyes that this was not a ploy and she was serious.  
"Mellie I...I don't know why you would do this. We have a second chance and we can make this work." Mellie laughed a deep throaty laugh.   
"Fitzgerald I was laying in a hospital bed fighting for my life and you moved your whore into our home. Probably fucked her in our bed. I can only take so much and I've had enough." Fitz moved toward Mellie and grabbed her by her shoulders. She averted her gaze to somewhere over his shoulder.   
"Look at me." She kept her gaze averted. Fitz squoze tighter. "Look at me!"He said shaking her a bit. Mellie looked him in his eyes and what she saw there shocked and frightened her. His eyes had become a dark stormy grey, his ears red from the emotional overload he was experiencing. Somewhere deep within the depths of his eyes she saw the man she fail in love with so long ago, but what was on the surface scared her. He was angry, truly angry. "You cannot do this to me Mellie." He still held her by the shoulders, she felt his fingertips biting into the soft flesh and she knew she'd have bruises.   
"Let go of me." She tried to shrug out of his embrace, but he held on tighter. The more she struggled the tighter his grip became. He pulled Mellie to him and she was flush against his body.   
"I will never let you go. You're mine, you think I'm just going to let you walk out on me, go be with some other man. Give away what's mine." Mellie blinked completely taken aback by this turn of events.   
"I have no clue why you are acting this way Fitz. I'm giving you what you want." A smile that held no mirth spread across his face.   
"You think I want my wife, the woman I love....." Fitz's words trailed off. He himself seemed shock by his words. He released Mellie and turned from her, running a frustrated hand through his curly locks. "I won't sign divorce papers." He said softly.   
"Do you hate me so much that you'd rather make me stay married to a man that does not want me, does not love me." Mellie chose to ignore his almost declaration of love for her.   
Fitz shot her a pained expression over his shoulder. He turned and all the anger had dissipated.   
"Why would you think I don't love you?" He said softly.   
"Are you the one that was in a crash because you're acting like you have a head injury. Why would I think you don't love me.... oh I don't know because you've spent the last 5 years telling me that you were in love with another woman. Hmmm maybe because you told me you wanted a divorce while I was pregnant with our son. Let's see you built a house for you and your mistress and the kids you would have with her to live in." FItz's eyebrows nearly shot off his face. "Didn't think I knew about your little love nest in Vermont?" Mellie shook her head and resumed packing her clothes.


	6. Chapter 6

"I can only apologize to you for everything I have done, but when you had your accident I kept thinking about a world without you in it and I did not like it. I've been angry with you Mellie and that clouded my judgment and my behavior but I will fix it."  
"Angry that everything I've ever done was for you?"  
" Angry that you never told me my father raped you and I had to find out from him in a drunken tirade." Mellie stopped packing and looked at Fitz. "You aren't the only one that knows things Mellie. Do you know what it felt like to have him throw it up in my face that he'd been with my wife? Of course I initially thought it was consensual and I was going to confront you, but then I started remembering back and I realized it was the reason you changed. What I don't understand is why didn't you come to me?" Fitz whispered the last part as his voice was starting to be overcome with emotion.  
"Water under the bridge just like our marriage." Mellie's heart was beating fast and tears pooled in her eyes but she refused to appear weak in front of him.  
"This isn't you, this is just a facade I know you're hurting. I know that I've hurt you why don't you just let it out?" He stepped closer to her and Mellie backed up.  
"I get it that's what you want. You want me to admit that you've hurt me so you can gloat."  
"Life is not a game Mellie. I am not playing a game I am being honest with you. I want you to do the same with me."  
"If you knew that your father raped me why didn't you ever come and comfort me if you knew that was the reason I could no longer be the warm and caring woman I was why didn't you try to help me Fitzgerald? Why did you decide to turn to another woman and make sure that it was flaunted in my face? Why did you want to hurt me more when I'd already had every part of my dignity ripped away from me!" Mellie yelled as tears started to fall down her porcelain cheeks.  
"Because I hate you for making me love you! I hate that I fail in love with the woman that my father chose and then you turned your fucking back on me like everyone else does! I wanted to hurt you I wanted for you to feel the pain that I felt ! All those nights I lay next to you wanting you, wanting my wife back and you laid there with your back to me, cold as ice! " Fitz's breath came out in angry heaves as he spilled his guts to her. He wasn't sure what this was going to accomplish but it was time for everything to be laid bare.  
Mellie was stunned silent which was a rare occurrence, she didn't have a comeback. She knew that he hated her, that he was angry with her but she had no clue that it was because he loved her.  
"Aren't you going to say something?" After Fitz calmed a bit he noticed Mellie had not spoken, she stood stock still with one of her nightgowns wrung between her hands, knuckles now white.  
"What's there to say?" She said softly. His voice brought her out of her thoughts.  
"I don't want a divorce."  
"Too bad."  
"I know you want to stick it to me and I get that, but we have over 20 years of history here."  
"20 years that you've pissed away in the last 5 years." She walked around him to put some of her clothes in a bag that was sitting on the bed.  
"Where are you going?" Fitz said as he followed her movements with his eyes.  
"To Blair house. I will live there until the divorce is final. Teddy will stay there with me, but of course you are welcome any time to come visit him."  
"We should go to counseling."  
"Are you going to continue to see her?" Mellie stated not looking at him.  
"Mellie our problems have nothing to do with her." Mellie closed her eyes silently chiding herself for being hopeful.  
"So that's a no. No amount of counseling will do us any good if you insist on having a third party in our marriage. "  
Fitz didn't want to admit to her that he'd already broke it off with Olivia. Even though he'd told her that this was not a game, he was not ready to show his hand to her.  
"Mellie do you love me?"  
"Of course....you're the father of my kids." Just like that Fitz's hopes rose and fail. He took two big strides and was in her face.  
"Do you love me for me?" He said pointing to his chest. "Are you in love with me?" Fitz stated emphasizing me. Mellie had been hurt by this man numerous times. She was not ready to be vulnerable to him.  
"What difference does it make? You are in love with Olivia. You have decided that you want to forget about horrible Mellie and the horrible children that she bore and go start a new life with her. So stop with all these theatrics. I have told you that I will stick around until you are re-elected and then you can move her in, you can marry her and have a White House full of kids with her."  
"Why won't you answer the question?" Fitz knew the answer to that, the same reason he wouldn't tell her that he was no longer with Olivia.  
Mellie looked at her watch.  
"Don't you have somewhere to be? Shouldn't you be running the country or something?" She said exasperated. She thought that this would be a clean break. Mellie was not prepared for him to put up such a stink. A small part of her was hopeful and happy that he appeared to be fighting for them, for her, but the rest of her that had been trampled on so many times refused to believe he was sincere.  
Fitz knew he had to show his hand to get her to believe that he was sincere.  
"I have not seen Olivia in 3 weeks. I told her that it was over. That I loved my wife and would not be leaving my wife." Mellie swallowed and searched his eyes for any hint that he was lying. She found none. "Do you love me, are you in love with me?" He asked her again. Mellie took a deep breath.  
"Yes." She said quietly. She wasn't sure why she was going to take this leap of faith, other than her heart longed for the man that loved her, that gave her back rubs when she'd had a long day at the office, made passionate love to her into the wee hours of the morning. She longed for her husband the man she loved.  
"We can make this work Mel. If we are open with each other, stop playing games, stop running when it gets hard then I know we can make this better."  
"I've never ran from you Fitz, and I've always shown you who I am, loyal, honest and a woman that has fought for you. That hasn't been good enough in the past so why is it good enough now?"  
"Because I've seen a world without you in it and that is not an option for me. I understand that life is not a fairy tale and there will be bumps and bruises and rocky roads, but I want those bumps and bruises and rocky roads with you Mellie." Mellie knew that he was being sincere. She looked him in the eyes and saw her husband for the first time in years, not just a flash or a glimpse, but wholly truly saw her husband. She bit her bottom lip and contemplated still afraid to trust him, to trust anyone.  
"I'll go to counseling." Fitz smiled a genuine smile that shone in his eyes. He grabbed her hand and gently pulled her close to him, taking her in his arms and hugging her tightly.  
"I love you." He said into her hair kissing the top of her head.  
"I love you." He put some distance between them as he bent down to capture her mouth in an intense kiss. His hand rubbed down her back until it rested on her ass. He pulled her tighter to him and she clung to him allowing his tongue to plunder her mouth. The kiss intensified and Fitz backed them toward the bed. He reached behind them and swept her bag onto the floor before hoisting her onto the bed and immediately climbing on top of her. The entire world faded when they came together as one for the first time in years. The cries of each other's names the declarations of love, started to mend the fractured bond. They knew that this was a second chance and they would not be squandering it, that their love would be stronger than ever and nothing and no one would be coming between them, not even themselves.


End file.
